PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Zappa Olive (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Gareth Wilcox (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). We have two fighters making their debuts here, so let's see who comes out of this one with their first professional victory.

Olive
vs
Wilcox

184 cm
22
179 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

185 cm
25
172 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Granite chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent boxer
Powerful

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Zappa Olive!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Montreal, Gareth Wilcox!
The judges for this bout are Trevor Gratis, Alec Ball and Dillan Fox.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Wilcox clinches.
Wilcox dodges an elbow strike from Olive.
Wilcox tries to break free but Olive pushes him back against the cage.
Wilcox stalling in the clinch but Olive improves position.
Olive misses with a hook to the ribs.
Olive tries to circle away but Wilcox has him pinned against the cage.

Wilcox breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Olive shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Olive gets the takedown into side control.
Wilcox dodges the ground and pound from Olive.
Wilcox really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Olive. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.
The ground and pound from Olive seems to be hitting the mat more than his opponent.
The strikes coming from Olive are missing the target in this wave of attacks.
Olive in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.

Olive has had enough of the ground for now and decides to stand.
Wilcox keeps the fight on the outside.
Zappa Olive seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wilcox tries to clinch but Olive moves out of range.
Olive circles away from the clinch attempt.
Olive throws a lazy head kick
and Wilcox cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.

It looks like Zappa Olive has been cut.
Wilcox looks to clinch
and Olive counters with a flying knee. Nice.

Olive closes the distance, clinches up and gets a nice trip takedown into side control. Very smooth.
Olive in side control, trying to ground and pound but not landing this time.
Wilcox tries to wriggle free to get back to his feet but he's given up his back! Oops.

Olive has his opponent's back and is working for the choke.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Olive throwing lazy shots from the back mount that aren't doing any damage.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
Olive trying to control.

Wilcox preventing the rear naked choke attempt from Olive.
Olive is looking to control Wilcox but Wilcox is wriggling around and keeping busy.
Wilcox trying to control the hands but Olive won't let him.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Olive is working really hard to secure the rear naked choke. Wilcox defends successfully for a significant amount of time. Both fighters are looking very determined.
Olive trying to control.
Olive is looking cool and calm here, just waiting for a good opportunity to attack and finish the fight from this dominant position.
You can see the frustration on Wilcox's face… He knows he is in trouble unless he improves his position sooner rather than later.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Olive avoiding Wilcox 's attempts to control his hands.

Olive working for a choke but Wilcox is defending well.
Olive missing with punches from the back.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Wilcox has the hand control, trying to stop the rear naked choke.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A lull in the action here.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Zappa Olive dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Zappa Olive's cut.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Wilcox circles away from the clinch attempt.
Olive dodges the punch combination from Wilcox.
Wilcox goes to the watering hole and comes back with a big thumbs up from the judges as he scores a three punch combo.
Wilcox dives in and grabs Olive's left leg, looking for a takedown. Olive pushes down on Wilcox's head and hops out.
Zappa Olive is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Olive forces Wilcox back against the cage and clinches.
Olive landing knees to the head.
Wilcox looks like he'd prefer to be striking at range right now.
Olive is working on a leg, looking for a takedown but Wilcox is defending well.
Olive stops a takedown attempt from Wilcox.
Olive wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Wilcox has him pressed against the cage.

Olive decides to pull guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Olive is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Wilcox trying to control but Olive is working from the bottom.
Wilcox being controlled here momentarily.
Olive keeping moving, preventing Wilcox from controlling successfully.
The referee wants the fighters to be more active or he's going to reset them on the feet.
Wilcox controls the pace of the fight for a moment.

The ref stands the fighters back up, due to lack of action by Gareth Wilcox.
No joy there for Wilcox, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Olive checks the leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Olive closes the distance and clinches.

Olive breaks the clinch.
Wilcox is looking to take this fight into the clinch.

Wilcox rushes Olive and pushes him back against the cage in a clinch.
Olive being controlled against the cage.
Olive is trying to break the clinch but Wilcox has him pressed against the cage.
Olive managing to block the knees to the body from Wilcox.
Olive wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but Wilcox has him pressed against the cage.
Wilcox wants to take the fight to the mat but Olive manages to get underhooks and keep the fight in the clinch.
Zappa Olive has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Gareth Wilcox.
Olive fails to pull the fight into his guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wilcox breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wilcox fails miserably with a takedown attempt.
Olive avoids a low kick by using good footwork.
Wilcox rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Olive moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Olive throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Wilcox's waist but Wilcox gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Olive off to one side.
The fight stays on the outside here - Olive looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
No joy there for Wilcox, who threw a few shots but didn't land.
Wilcox comes forward and lands a shot to the body, then darts back out of range.
Wilcox tries to clinch up.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Olive shoots in looking for a takedown. Wilcox tries to sprawl out of it but Olive keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Wilcox manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Wilcox will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Wilcox misses with a head kick.
Olive tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Wilcox counters with a one-two to the body.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Wilcox fails with an attempt to clinch.
Wilcox throws a nice looking combination but Olive bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wilcox throws a head kick that misses
and Olive counters with a flying knee. Nice.
Wilcox moves into range and throws a lovely three punch combination.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wilcox looks to land a body kick but Olive moved away.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Gareth Wilcox showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The cut man is working on Zappa Olive's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! This is the final round!

Olive shoots in and drives through. Wilcox sprawls well.
Wilcox throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Olive tries to clinch there but Wilcox circles away.

Olive clinches.
Olive looking to stall.
Wilcox is looking to take this one to the mat.

Wilcox breaks the clinch.

Olive tries to keep at a distance but Wilcox has taken the fight into the clinch.
Olive tries to stall but Wilcox uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Olive has a body lock and is looking for a takedown. Wilcox is bouncing around trying to prevent the takedown and somehow he has indeed managed to stay on his feet.
Olive tries to pull guard but Wilcox won't allow it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Zappa Olive. That's going to take a lot out of him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
A real battle for position is taking place between these two warriors.
Wilcox looking to slow down the pace here.
Wilcox working hard to break the clinch.
Wilcox blocks a couple of punches on the inside.
Olive is trying to pull guard but Wilcox has him pressed against the cage.
Wilcox managing to block the knees to the body from Olive.
Olive tries to jump guard but he falls flat on his backside. Wilcox smiles and moves away.

Olive closes the distance and pushes Wilcox back into the cage.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Olive jumps guard but his hands slip and he falls flat on his back. Well, he's made himself look a right mug there, as Wilcox walks away with a smile on his face. Olive gets slowly back to his feet and shakes his head.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Olive tries to score a power double leg takedown but Wilcox sees that one coming and sprawls well. That will dishearten Olive somewhat.
A head kick misses from Olive.
Olive looks frustrated there after his takedown attempt is stuffed easily.
A chopping leg kick lands by Wilcox.
No luck for Wilcox with that takedown attempt.
Wilcox throws a nice looking combination but Olive bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Wilcox drives through and clinches with Olive against the cage.
Wilcox tries to pull guard but Olive holds him up against the cage and eventually Wilcox drops back down to his feet.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wilcox lands a nice elbow.

Wilcox's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Wilcox tries to clinch there but Olive circles away.
Wilcox dives in and grabs Olive's left leg, looking for a takedown. Olive pushes down on Wilcox's head and hops out.
Wilcox falls off balance throwing a combination
and Olive counters with a leg kick.
Wilcox will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Nice sprawl there from Wilcox as Olive shoots in.
Olive tries to clinch there but Wilcox circles away.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wilcox throws a series of punches but Olive moves out of range.
Olive is looking to clinch but Wilcox is avoiding it.
Wilcox tries to close the distance and clinch up against the cage but Olive paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Wilcox throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
The fight stays on the outside here - Wilcox looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Olive keeps the fight on the outside.
Wilcox attempts a low kick but it misses it's target.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Wilcox throws a body punch but Olive moves out of range.
The fight stays on the outside here - Wilcox looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Wilcox throws a good cross that connects.

And that's the end of the fight!
Gareth Wilcox comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Wilcox has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Trevor Gratis scores the fight 28:29
Judge Alec Ball scores the fight 28:29
Judge Dillan Fox scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Gareth Wilcox!